Forum opinion on "converted" yachts

[psneeld]

I know this is a hypothetical discussion based on the OP.

So here's my cut on it.

It's not really an "experiment" to power older, nice gassers with small diesels and accept them as "slow cruisers".

Most could care less about resale as they are often getting a bargain up front, pick a boat that has desirable traits and knows how to get a pair of small diesels at a bargain and does the work mostly themselves. The trick is to have it all worked out ahead of time.

I considered it twice in selecting my last 2 liveaboards. I just needed running vessels right away due to circumstances, but kept the thoughts burning for many years as I knew another, larger liveaboard may enter sometime in the future.

So along life's path I kept my eye out for these repowered types and saw a few along the way, not many but a few and the owner's seemed happy with them. Probably because they were wise enough to know there are no perfect boats out there.... new, used or even bastard children types.

 

[omoore]

Converted or Compromised

A v-bottom trawler? Hmm, wonder why no reputable boat builder has adopted that bottom configuration.

Now if we have exhausted this testing the water discussion let's move on to twin vs single or anchor choice. Those topics always yield a bounty of heated "expert" opinions!

 

[timb7734]

These boats are extremely light displacement, not very deep draft, high wind age, small rudders, and now underpowered! Terrible low speed steerage, terrible ride, impossible handling in wind or current, possibly very very economical as owner will be terrified to leave the dock.

 

[rslifkin]

A v-bottom trawler? Hmm, wonder why no reputable boat builder has adopted that bottom configuration.

Plenty of trawler types (especially the SD ones) have V bottom hulls. They're just typically a fairly shallow V and with a keel added, rather than a keel-less deeper V.

 

[Mako]

As are most all steel boats. It’s called a hard chine